The Road to Hell
by Iian Feuerfalke
Summary: An incomplete prophecy forces the Potters to go into hiding with their second son, leaving their firstborn behind. And slowly the wheels of fate start turning in a direction they were never meant to take.AU
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: not mine

**The Road to Hell:**

**Chapter 1: Wheels set into motion**

Humankind commonly believes that there are only two forcesit will never be able to escape, gravity and death.Itis wrong. There is another force, stronger even than death, fate.

In regular intervals people are born who have such an important fate, that their very existence alters the fate of others. They are both free of and forever bound to fate itself, because even though they can change the fate of others, they will never be able to escape their own, not even through death.

To make her chosen ones' lives easier, fate gifted certain individuals with the ability to "see", to speak in riddled prophecies about their lives and tasks.

Therefore fate sent a vision to one of the seers, to herald the birth of great light. Her choice of seer though was poor, the gift in her weak, her words never taken to heart or believed by her fellow wizards and witches.

Her weak gift prevented her from "seeing" all fate sent to her. So it was that only snippets of the prophecy were received by the seer's lone audience. The seer knew she hadn't "seen" all, but was too proud to say so. The old wizard in her company wassosure of himself and his wisdom that he thought to have the prophecy already deciphered.

Through human weakness fate's chosen child would bring darkness to them instead of light. The prophesied child's fate was to bring change, not to change anything specific.

* * *

Silence reigned in the Potter's living room. Lily Potter's face was paler than a ghost's and she desperately clutched the infant in her arms to her breast. Her dark red hair spilled like a fountain of fire down her shoulders and over the infant.

James Potter glanced worriedly at his deathly white wife, then looked back to his guest. "And you are absolutely sure, Albus? There is no chance for it to be another child?" he asked the elderly wizard.

"No, there is no possibility at all to be mistaken. Your second born child will bring an end to Voldemort's terror. I was personally there, when the prophecy was spoken, which I don't believe to be a coincidence at all. There are only two people alive who know about the Potters' inheritance after all, you and me. No one would have been able to decipher the riddle without this knowledge."

Albus Dumbledore looked sadly at the frightened faces of two of the most capable Order members. It would be hard to do without their war efforts, but there was nothing else to do. The prophesied child had to be protected. The young family would have to go into hiding.

James joined his wife on the sofa and embraced both her and his youngest son, Regis Jameson Potter. To think that this child was powerful enough to bring an end to Voldemort, it was simply inconceivable.

"It will be alright, love."he whispered in his wife's ear.

"That it will be indeed. You will have to go into hiding. I have already prepared a nice house that has been a refuge for the Dumbledore family many times before and will now be a refuge for you. The wards there are indestructible, but I have put the location under the "fidelius" additionally, just to be on the safe side." Albus told them.

"You have an hour to pack your things, then I will come back and take you to your new home. Till then!" With those words he departed through the floo.

* * *

"Lily, dear, are you alright?" James asked his wife gently.

Lily finally lifted her head and looked at him. Her normally bright green eyes had darkened in worry and terror. Though there was determination there, too.

"We have to hurry. An hour is not much time to pack. I will pack the children's clothes and toys; you go and pack our things."she said.

James nodded his assent and together they hurried upstairs.

In the nursery Lily laid Regis down in his cradle, stroking his red hair, then looking at the toddler sleeping in the crib at the other side of the room. Moonlight fell through the window and illuminated the toddler's face. Her firstborn looked like a sleeping angel.

Quickly she opened wardrobes and trunks, throwing spell after spell to get everything packed in time. Across the hallway she could hear her husband doing the same.

She shrank the two trunks and picked Regis upagain. When James entered the room she gestured for him to take the sleeping toddler.

"I thought it better that the children won't wake up tonight, so I spoke a sleeping charm over them."Lily explained, when the toddler who usually was a light sleeper, didn't even so much as twitch ashis fatherpicked him up and cradled him in his arms.

Together they went downstairs, into the living room, awaiting Dumbledore and the start of their life in hiding.

* * *

Dumbledore looked sadly at the little family, knowing what he had to do next would tear themapart forver.

"There is one matter left, I'm afraid. Regis will become incredibly powerful as he grows older; he will advance faster than other children his age and will need special training and attention. He will be tutored by the brightest witches and wizards of our world. Do you think it wise to expose young Harry to that? Regis will always be faster, better, more powerful than him.

There will be much to be jealous about. Harry might start to feel inferior and eventually resent his brother for it. There will be no other children to compare himself with, he won't be able to see for himself that it isn't him that is weak but his brother that is extraordinary strong. Do you really wish to force that upon young Harry?"

James closed his eyes in turmoil. Then, slowly, reluctantly he nodded his head. "You are right, of course. Any child would grow to hate a so favoured sibling. So what do you suggest, Albus? Because I refuse to desert one son just to better raise the other."

"We won't desert anyone. Either both of our sons come with us or we won't go at all." Lily interrupted loudly, her voice shrill and slightly panicked, her wand gripped tightly and raised.

"Lily, James, I am only thinking about young Harry's happiness. I deeply regret to even have to raise this issue, but there is no other way. Regis has to be kept safe and hidden; he has to be taught by the very best teachers. I don't demand of you to simply desert Harry. I assure you I've already found a new home and family for him. He will be well cared for. You have to trust me on this."Albus replied calmly.

Tears gathered in Lily's eyes as she looked at the toddler, happily sleeping in his father's arms. A sob broke free and then another, every one more heartbreakingly sorrowful than the first.

James swallowed down the lump in his throat, then asked: "Where will you take him? Will we be able to visit or at least write to him?"

Albus shook his head, his beard following the movement like a white flag does in the wind. "I'm truly sorry, but the world will have to believe you died in an accident."

James shortly closed his eyes in defeat, before kissing Harry's forehead for the last time. Then he laid the toddler gently down on the sofa, quickly transfiguring a pillow into a warm blanket with which he covered his firstborn.

Embracing his wife he nodded to Albus, signalling that they were ready to depart now. Albus smiled sadly, gave James a portkey in form of a pink sock and activated it with the words: "Be safe."

* * *

Smiling still slightly astonished at the revelation of having a previously unknown of son and heir Sirius Black gently stroked through the peacefully sleeping toddler's unruly jet black hair and whispered: "Be welcome, Aurelius Danilo Black."

* * *

Far away in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts an old man told his phoenix sorrowfully: "It had to be done. The Potters are safe and believed dead by all. Every evidence that there had ever been two Potter children has been destroyed, every memory of the two children wiped out.

The boy's very genes have been altered so that he now really is Sirius Black's son and heir. It was the only way to ensure that everyone involved has at least got the chance to be happy."

Fawkes, sensing his human's deep set sorrow and regret, trillered a soothing song, singing the old wizard into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

So humans set the very first wheels of fate into motion that would lead into darkness, endless sorrow and betrayal. The way to hell really **was **paved with good intentions.**

* * *

**

**TBC**

Please tell me if and what you liked. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: not mine

Since this story is obviously AU I am taking the liberty to "revive" so to speak a certain character, because it is important for the story. So, Regulus Black, in my story, is a Death Eater, alive and two years younger than Sirius.

**The Road to Hell**

**Chapter 2: Family**

It had been three days since four owls had delivered a securely packaged box to Sirius Black. A fifth owl had delivered a letter. After checking for curses, hexes and poisons Sirius had cautiously opened first the letter and then the box.

The letter had simply read: _You left something with me at our last encounter; you will have to take it back._ There had been no signature. Curios, he had opened the box. He hadn't seen anything but a yellow blanket and had already started to wonder why someone would send him back a blanket of all things, and where and how he could have left one, when the blanket had moved.

It had been then that Sirius had had a distinct feeling of foreboding. And he had been right. Nestled in the blanket had been a little toddler with black hair, high cheekbones and blue green eyes.

At this point Sirius had fainted.

* * *

Looking down on the boy playing with a miniature toy broom and making joyful noises, Sirius counted himself to be lucky. Unlike his friends and colleagues he had never wished to find a wife and settle down.

He liked women well enough but he wouldn't want to have to live with one. They were moody, unpredictable and downright dangerous when under the influence of hormones. Sirius liked a little danger and adventure in his life, but he wanted to live, too.

So Sirius had been quite the lady's man without ever getting serious with any of them. And none of them had wanted anything serious with him.

Therefore it really shouldn't have shocked him that he had fathered a child. Neither was he surprised that the child had been sent to him. It was custom in magical families for an unmarried woman to send any offspring to the sire. Magical children belonged to their fathers and could only be legally held by the mother as long as the child needed her for its survival.

No, shocking had been that the mother had sent the child via owl, without any information regarding the child's name or age, without demanding marriage or even revealing her identity.

None the less, Sirius was happy to be a father. Now he had an heir without the normally obligatory wife.

He would have to somehow get a nurse for the child. If he stopped working out of a sudden the ministry would get suspicious and he didn't want to make it known that he had an heir. The Black family lived by the old laws of succession, meaning that any male child of his that he acknowledged as his would be the sole heir of the Black fortune and Head of Family should Sirius die.

Unfortunately it also meant that any male Black directly related to Sirius had the right to raise his son should Sirius die or be disowned, which Sirius had been.

If it should ever come to light that Sirius had sired and acknowledged a child, his brother Regulus could legally take that child away and raise it as his own. Therefore Sirius would have to make sure that no one learned of the child's existence, ever.

How was he to get a nurse without risking others learning of his son? The nurse would have to live with them, because Sirius often times had to leave on short notice on Auror or Order related missions. He couldn't go looking for one in the magical world, people would take notice. There was no way he would trust anyone magical, his son had to remain a secret.

Well, then he would have to look for one in the muggle world. Thanks to his work, his curiosity and his relationships to muggleborns Sirius could live with muggles without raising suspicions.

Having decided on a plan of action, he scooped the small toddler up into his arms, giving him an Eskimo kiss, causing the child to giggle in delight, and said: "What do you think of living in the muggle world, with a butler and a nice nurse to take care of you when I'm away?"

The child made noises as if answering him, still smiling, it blue-green eyes shining with laughter.

Earnest Sirius nodded his head. "Well, if you have no objections we will go and buy a nice house to live in. Then we will set up blood wards, so no magical being but a Black can enter. And then we will go looking for a butler and a nurse. We will have to use fake names though; we don't want anyone to find us as easily as looking into the phone book, now do we?"

A few spells later everything was packed, shrunk and placed into Sirius pockets.

"Ready, kiddo? Then let's go."

* * *

The female estate agent was practically cooing at the two members strong family. She had been properly sorry at Sirius' quickly spun tale of a recently diseased wife and him no longer wanting to stay in a house that held too many memories of lost happiness.

Sirius had to admit that the small, brown haired woman was rather good looking and had a pleasant voice, but he wasn't looking for a date, he was looking for a home to sleep in tonight.

They had visited five suitably big houses, but they hadn't been what Sirius was looking for. He really hoped that the next house would be something a child would like to grow up in as well as be big enough to tell of a rich family, someone who had no need to work for his money, someone no one would question about hiring a butler and a nurse.

After a thirty minutes drive, they arrived at the entrance of a white, Victorian villa, surrounded by a huge park, the whole premises enclosed by thick, twelve feet high walls. Unlike the other houses this one radiated warmth.

Sirius started as his son tucked at a strand of his long black hair, pointed to the house and babbled excitedly in baby speak.

"As you wish, kiddo."Sirius whispered gently in the toddler's ear.

"As you see, Mr.Harrington, this house comes with a very nice environment as well as with high security and privacy. This is one of the most respected neighbourhoods around here and there are two very good schools to go to when your son is older." said the estate agent.

Sirius' dark blue eyes took the environment in, thought of his son growing up here and interrupted her: "How much?"

"Ah, excuse me?"

"How much does it cost? Is it furnished?"

"Not every single room is furnished but the essentials are there. There is no suitable furniture for a toddler though; you would need to get the essentials for him."

While talking they had reached the front door. It was honey brown, big and carved with figures of trees and birds. The entrance hall was big, with high ceilings, the walls were painted in a friendly off-white and there were a few landscape paintings scattered on the walls.

A winding staircase of white marble led to the next floor and there were five passages leading to other parts of the house.

"We'll take it."

* * *

After driving back to the estate agency and signing the necessary papers, Mark and Danilo Harrington were the proud owners of one Victorian villa.

The estate agent had even been able to recommend a staff agency. She even drove the Harringtons there.

After talking to the manager for half an hour, telling her what qualities he needed in his nurse and butler, mainly secrecy and loyalty, he had decided on an old butler named Mr.Thomas Brown and a middle aged nurse, Ms.Bridget Lean.

They would be ready to start working tomorrow.

Sirius only hoped he wouldn't be called to an emergency tonight.

They took a cab home, where Sirius, just to be on the safe side, wrote two short letters stating he was ill, one for the Auror department and one for Dumbledore, and sent them off with his owl.

Aurelius was curled up on the carpet, where Sirius had set him down so he could write the letters, and lightly dozing. His black hair was tousled even more than usual, his eyes already half-closed.

Sirius sighed. It had been a long, hard day and if he was tired the little one had to be beyond tired. Gently he scooped the toddler up, pressing a light kiss on his hair. Then he walked up the stairs to one of the bedrooms, put Aurelius into pyjamas and put him to sleep into the de-shrunk crib.

Putting monitoring charms on the now sleeping child, he went to bed himself.

* * *

Dumbledore frowned when he received Sirius' letter. His blue eyes narrowed in thought. Sirius wasn't the kind of man to slacken his work because of a child.

He had thought Sirius would simply hire a nurse and then go on as usual. If he had known Sirius would take care of the child himself he wouldn't have put the young Potter there. Sirius was an important member of the Order, an undefeated Auror, dreaded by Death Eaters. Dumbledore couldn't afford to lose the Potters and Sirius at the same time.

Well, he would simply suggest to Sirius to hire a nurse for the boy at the next Order meeting.

At least the Potters had settled in the little cottage without much fuss. They hadn't asked about little Harry when he had visited them earlier this evening, apparently taking to heart his words about necessary secrecy and safety measures. Instead they had asked him what to teach young Regis. Dumbledore reassured them that they should raise him like any other child, at least till he could walk and talk properly. They should however be prepared for unusually strong bursts of accidental magic.

* * *

**TBC**

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